Best Places In The World To Retire

[Editor’s note: Suzie Osman lives in Rancho Los Labradores, which is about 9 miles from the center of San Miguel de Allende, in sort of a country area, that is a gate-guarded multi-use community with everything from a little hotel to villas to homes.]

 

We’re renting a big home-- 2,300 square feet with a beautiful view, and almost a half an acre. Everything costs about US $1500 a month. This rental is fully furnished, but I brought much of my...

[Editor’s note: Suzie Osman lives in Rancho Los Labradores, which is about 9 miles from the center of San Miguel de Allende, in sort of a country area, that is a gate-guarded multi-use community with everything from a little hotel to villas to homes.]

 

We’re renting a big home-- 2,300 square feet with a beautiful view, and almost a half an acre. Everything costs about US $1500 a month. This rental is fully furnished, but I brought much of my stuff, so they had to take out what we didn’t want. 

 

The utilities are not included. My landlord is paying for the homeowners (association), and for gardening. I’m paying for water, electricity and full maintenance, including a housekeeper. Both of my friends who live in centro are paying about the same (US $1,500)

 

I looked at a different house including one that was about the same price. One of the reasons that ours is more expensive is that we have a pool- it would probably be a little less if we didn’t have a pool. The other house we considered was a big house, and I didn’t like it. It wasn’t usable for me- it had an upstairs area inside. 

 

We have an upstairs terrace in the place we’re renting now in Rancho Los Labradores, which is gorgeous, but I can’t walk upstairs. The other house they were renting had to be about 3,000 square feet or more, but because it had a downstairs level with a bedroom, a bathroom, a library, a big main floor, and a loft area, I knew it wasn’t anything I would be comfortable in.  

 

(Single story home in Rancho Los Labradores, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

The center of Granada is changing and it is now more business oriented. Back in the 70s and the 80s, the houses that you will see there today, were only residential houses back then. There were not that may businesses. There weren’t many hotels and restaurants. People are now moving out of the center and trying to adapt their houses into the business. Some people use their house for both residential and business purposes.

 

You can tell the difference...

The center of Granada is changing and it is now more business oriented. Back in the 70s and the 80s, the houses that you will see there today, were only residential houses back then. There were not that may businesses. There weren’t many hotels and restaurants. People are now moving out of the center and trying to adapt their houses into the business. Some people use their house for both residential and business purposes.

 

You can tell the difference between the upper class, the middle class, the lower middle class by how close their houses are to the center of Granada. When you move from block to block, you will be able to tell the difference between the neighborhoods right away. The bigger houses are always close to the center. You will see those bigger houses just two to three blocks away from the center and obviously, those families are the ones with more money. They would be the landowners of farms. When you move further out the center, around five to six blocks, you will see how the streets and the types of houses and the type of people change. And the middle lower class live about 7 to 10 blocks away from the center.

In Portugal, we have the national health insurance and the national health system, which is not terribly efficient and it has long waiting lists so it is advisable for people to have private health insurance, which is not expensive.

 

There are some very good private clinics and hospitals here in the major centers of Portugal. I have a health insurance policy for myself, for my wife, and my three children even though they are adults now. It costs me...

In Portugal, we have the national health insurance and the national health system, which is not terribly efficient and it has long waiting lists so it is advisable for people to have private health insurance, which is not expensive.

 

There are some very good private clinics and hospitals here in the major centers of Portugal. I have a health insurance policy for myself, for my wife, and my three children even though they are adults now. It costs me €200 (US $218 or £147) a month and it covers basically everything except dental.

 

(Logo for Pacific Prime, private medical insurance offered in Portugal, pictured.)